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Honda surprises with Gear concept in Montreal

It's not often that a major automobile manufacturer debuts a brand-new concept at the Montreal International Auto Show - mostly because it takes place concurrently with the massive show in Detroit - but here we are with the so-called Honda Gear Concept Study Model, which was just uncovered by our friendly neighbors to the north.
According to the automaker, the Gear "demonstrates Honda's innovative approach to providing the automotive answer for young, urban, Gen-Y lifestyles. Inspired by fixed-gear bicycles... Gear is simple and utilitarian, but also customizable, connected and full of personality." It is apparently "practical but fun, customizable, connected and affordable. Everything that young, discerning urban buyers would want in a car," according to Dave Marek, Design Director at Honda R&D Americas.
We don't know anything else - what might lie underhood, how it is "connected" or at what price point it might potentially be sold at. Check out our high-res image gallery above and the press release below and you'll know just about as much as we do.

Honda reveals XR-V crossover in Chengdu

Global automakers have been moving largely towards global products, but that doesn't mean it can't tweak them for local tastes. Take Honda, for example, and its new compact crossover. Unveiled late last year as the Vezel, the crossover is expected to arrive in Europe and North America as the HR-V. But in China, it's being called the XR-V and adopts the form you see here.
Presented by Dongfeng Honda at the Chengdu Motor Show, the new XR-V is based closely on the Vezel but adopts some unique bodywork for a more rugged look. The front end gets a more SUV-like grille and bumper, while the side flanks are less swoopy but with more muscular wheel arches. The result may not be as bonkers as the Mugen version that debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon tuner show, but reminds us more of the similarly named and ruggedized Subaru XV Crosstrek.
Though technically billed as a concept, the Chinese-market XR-V looks just about ready for production as it is. Both 1.5- and 1.8-liter engines are specified, and while there may not be a wealth of other details available, you can read what there is in the press release (presented in original and translated forms) below.

280-bhp Elemental RP1 revealed, now with bike-engine option

The Elemental RP1 might be Britain's next big boutique roadster success story. Designed by a team with Formula One experience, it aims to mix road car drivability with racecar performance in a single, adaptable package weighing less than 1,000 pounds. It was first previewed a few weeks ago, but the secrecy has finally disappeared due to its upcoming debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The backbone of the RP1 is a carbon fiber and aluminum tub onto which the front and rear subframes bolt on. Inside, it has an F1-like, feet-up driving position that allows for additional underfloor aerodynamic aids to improve downforce. Despite its hardcore nature, Elemental says that it wants the car to be very user friendly. Buyers should be able to drive the RP1 to the track, adjust it with some wrenches, go racing and drive it home. The company even claims the storage areas to either side of the engine offer enough room for a helmet and other racing gear. Hopefully, buyers don't crash, though, otherwise they might be stuck. Elemental is adding two more engine options for the RP1, as well. In addition to the previously announced tuned Ford 2.0-liter EcoBoost with 280 horsepower, buyers can also choose a upgraded version of Ford's three-cylinder 1.0-liter EcoBoost or a model aimed at pure track use with a 999cc Honda Fireblade motorcycle engine. The 2.0-liter uses a six-speed sequential manual gearbox, and a limited-slip differential and alternate gear sets are available as additional options. The first RP1s built will be pure racers for the 2015 season, and the first road cars will follow in the early summer of next year. Pricing isn't set yet, but scroll down for more details and full specs of Britain's latest feather light car for road and track. Introducing the Elemental Rp1 Press Release: 23/6/2014 British sports car manufacturer, Elemental Motor Company Limited, today released further details of their new and innovative, road legal track car, the Rp1. The Rp1 is an open top, road legal, mid engined sports car that incorporates state of the art road and race car technologies. Designed, Engineered and Built by a team with decades of experience in the Formula One and Supercar industries, it brings the concept of a road legal track car firmly into the 21st Century. The Rp1 will be revealed to the public for the first time, this weekend, at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it will located in the Moving Motor Show tent "First Glance" display.